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The Meaning of Russia's Military Campaign Against Ukraine

Moscow has broken the trust that many worked long to build. Now NATO must adapt to this new security threat.

By

Phil Breedlove

July 16, 2014 7:06 p.m. ET

In just the past few months Russia has managed to use its military, political and economic forces to fundamentally destabilize a European nation and change internationally recognized borders by illegally annexing Crimea. In that short time, this new chapter in Russian policy has become a very unwelcome part of Europe's 21st-century security landscape. Not to belabor the obvious, but the sudden shift carries significant implications for the future and seriously challenges how Europe has developed its stability and security since the end of the Cold War.